


Alive and Kicking

by andjandj



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Jopper, danona
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:00:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22334593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andjandj/pseuds/andjandj
Summary: "Who's got the touch to calm the storm inside?Who's gonna save you?Alive and KickingStay until your love is, Alive and Kicking."Winona was not the girl to lose her mind, but that was about to change.
Relationships: David Harbour/Winona Ryder, Joyce Byers/Jim "Chief" Hopper
Comments: 14
Kudos: 49





	1. Unsatisfied

**Author's Note:**

> All the chapter names along with the name of the fan-fiction are titles of "The Replacements" songs.   
> I do realize Winona and David are real people and if you're not comfortable with reading that kind of fan-fics I suggest you skip this one.   
> Leave a comment and let me know what you think, should I continue the story?

** "Everything you dream of is right in front of you, and everything is a lie." **

“Winona! Winona!”

They kept screaming at her and it was kind of expected, she was at the silver carpet after-all posing with Scott. She was excited for this year’s SAG Awards mostly because she missed her cast terribly, especially David.

Winona couldn’t help but be slightly annoyed. Lily didn’t let David leave her side ever since they started going out and she only saw David once after they finished doing press for ST3. 

They used to visit each other whenever she would be in New York or he would somehow end up in San Francisco and now they seem more like strangers than friends, only seeing each other at the “business” related events.

She knew relationships needed work, hers and Scott’s sure needed lots of it, but to be so possessive was just not right. It’s not like Winona didn’t like Lily, she was a really good choice for David. She was beautiful, intelligent and had a damn fine sense of humor, all the things David was searching for when they talked about his love life many months ago.

“Babe, we need to get inside”.

Scott interrupted her train of thoughts before she could continue to overthink not seeing David for a long time and thank god he did. She didn’t want the night she was so excited for to be ruined because she was jealous, no, not jealous, just in need of David.

She needed him so damn much. That was just the thing, when you get used to having there whenever it’s hard realizing they can’t be in your life as much anymore.

After-all, it would be weird calling David at 3 am to talk about life only for Lily to pick up the phone and misinterpret it as something more, could there be something more?  _ No, Winona, snap out of it!  _ She was trying to push her feelings further down, but they had the habit of resurfacing now and then, this was not the place nor the time though.

She first noticed liking David just recently when they were doing the event with the ST3 cast. He was so happy talking about him and Lily and how they were moving in together and it almost made her cry, that was the first sign.

The second sign was obvious, she was cooling down from Scott. He was a sweetheart, but he wanted more. She couldn’t blame him, after eight years of dating anyone would think they’d already gotten married, but that’s not what she wanted.

At this point, Winona wasn’t even sure if she was with Scott just to have someone by her side, not because she truly loved him. They lived separately, only saw each other when she was not busy working (and she was always doing something), posed together for pictures with smiling faces, but they were so far from a happy couple.

The third sign was right now, at the SAG’s blue carpet. Instead of enjoying her time with Scott by her side she was thinking of all the reason why she doesn’t want him there and instead of him someone who was currently not available and about to sit next to her for the rest of the night.  _Great, just fucking great, that escalated quickly._

“Let’s do this” she muttered under her breath, before entering the venue with a smile she didn’t feel like giving plastered on her face. This was going to be a fun night.

The venue was gorgeous as usual and she immediately had a flashback of last year’s SAG she attended without Scott and with David as her “date”, back then she saw him as nothing more than a friend and now she just laughed at that, what a difference a year makes. She and Scott were quickly escorted to their seats where Matt and Ross already sat patiently waiting for everyone else.

“Winona, you look like a goth queen”

Matt complimented clumsily, but it worked earning a laugh and a small bow from Winona before she took her seat. They spent the next 15 minutes or so mostly talking about the plans for shooting ST4. The only thing she knew was that it won’t be in Atlanta, but she still had no idea if they would put her in a studio or the actual location.

“Hi everyone”.

Nat’s soft voice greeted everyone present and she took her seat with Charlie following close behind. The two of them reminded Winona of a time when she was engaged to Johnny, they did have a similar story after-all.

The two met before staring in a TV hit together, he has a past, she is young and innocent, and their relationship is heavily followed by media. It’s almost the exact copy of her relationship with Johnny. She hoped the two of them won’t end up like she and him did all those years ago.

Winona looked around. The kids were at their table, the venue was already full of people but there was no sight of David and Lily. She hasn’t seen them at the silver carpet, so she knew they were going to be late, but it’s been way too long, and the ceremony was starting soon.

_ _

_ What the hell is he thinking being late, he’s never late.  _ Her inner voice was yelling, and her frustration must’ve shown because Nat mouthed “Are you okay” with a worried look on her face. That girl sure noticed every little change on someone’s face.

Winona mouthed “yes, it’s okay” back to her with a reassuring smile even though she wasn’t feeling all that awesome. What the hell was happening to her tonight, it’s never been like this before.

The person on the stage took the mic to announce that the live stream has officially begun and that the ceremony will start in 5 minutes and just as she was about to ask Matt if David was even going to arrive someone covered her eyes.

“Guess who?” he asked in an exaggerated voice, but she knew exactly who it was, her knees buckled as soon as she had a smell of the familiar cologne.  _ Finally. _

“You’re late” she didn’t mean it to sound like that, accusatory almost, like he violated a code they had. She moved her head so that his hands were no longer covering her eyes and her doe eyes landed on his piercing blue ones. He was confused at her tone but still had that soft glimmer in his eyes making her completely forget why she was even annoyed.

“… but I am glad you made it” she added making sure to sound normal again, offering him a smile as her eyes quickly landed on his date. 

Lily was wearing a red-pinkish gown, her short hair down and straightened, too polished for Winona’s taste.  _ Damn it she looks good though.  _ Winona mentally kicked herself for staring, but the younger woman was truly glowing.

“Hi, I’m Lily” 

The black-haired woman offered her hand for Winona, but the latter got up from her seat and hugged her. Why she did that, Winona had no idea. She wasn’t a hugger, she hated hugging people she did not know and the whole ordeal was so out of character that even David had a hard time understanding why she did it.

She quickly pulled away with rosy cheeks and did her best to salvage the moment. It mostly worked.

“Sorry, it’s just that David talks so much about you I feel like I already know you. I’m Winona by the way”.

_ _

_ Nice save Winona, nice save. _ She hugged David as well, but this one was even more forced than the one she shared with Lily. They were both tense and while David was oblivious to what was happening in Winona’s mind, she was very aware of the fact she just embarrassed herself in front of everyone.

“Oh no, I’m a hugger too” she winked at Winona as David pulled her chair to sit and take a sit of his own next to Winona who was already sitting down, trying to disappear.

Lily has always been in awe of Winona; she was her hero ever since the woman came back from the scandal that could’ve destroyed her but didn’t. They were both fighters and knew exactly what they wanted. She was so lucky to not only be dating David but share the table with the ultimate boss lady, Winona.

“It’s starting guys, good luck to all!” the announcer sounded off from the stage making everyone at the table turn towards it, instantly forgetting about everything that just went down. 

Winona was glad, her anxiety was already starting to get the best of her, and this was a welcome distraction. Maybe she wasn’t as excited as she thought.


	2. I Bought a Headache

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short one to get you through the day, I'll try to update more often!

**"And all I needed was just a breath of fresh air**   
**I want a, I want a folding chair"**

* * *

He was watching her from afar. At about mid ceremony David got up from his table and started walking around the hall. He saw a couple of people he knew from either theatre or TV, but he was mostly aimless in his walk.

Truthfully, David just needed to get away from everyone, Lily included. He like the woman very much, but she was starting to smother him with her affection and stories no one at the table was particularly interested in. He thought he was happy with her, but being in this room a year later, sitting next to Winona… it brought the old feelings back and that scared the shit out of him.

Last year he was still with Allison and while that was the case, she never really cared much for him anyways so it was almost as if she was not there.

Last year Winona opened up to him for the first time about certain things in her life when they were leaving the venue after both Ali and Scott went home earlier.

Last year… last year he was sure Winona and him would end up together. So many things have changed since then and yet here he was again, 2020 and he’s still thinking about it.

Everyone told him to drop it. Even the Duffers who knew of his crush warned him it would be a bad idea and yet, they ended up writing an entire season where his character got to spend time with her character… all the damn season! It was enough time for him to fall even deeper, to finally lose his mind over the woman he got to know so well.

He was planning on telling her how he felt, but when she barged into his trailer one night, all happy and cheerful telling him about Scott’s plans for the future, he decided it was time to let her go. All David wanted was for Winona to be happy, even if it meant losing his happiness in the process.

Little did he know that Winona would end up being in his shoes just a year later, going back and forth between being jealous at Lily and mad at David… but that’s a different story.

“What are you doing?”

Charlie came up behind David who was now leaning on one of the columns, but was evidently startled away from it when he heard Charlie’s voice.

“Jesus kid, you could’ve given me a heart attack”

He exhaled going back into his previous position, still staring at his seat that was funny enough, in the middle of Lily and Winona. Oh, what a cruel faith it was.

“Yeah, yeah… sorry”

Charlie grunted like an offended teenager earning a light smack on his head, courtesy of David.

“Soo…” Charlie began unsure of the reaction “which one of your women are you currently looking at?”

Charlie was young, but not stupid. Almost every kid on the set knew how much David liked Winona, kids picked up on those things, so it was no strange he was asking the question. The young man himself had to make a choice between two girls once so he understood David’s dilemma quite well.

“What?”

David’s puzzled and quite frankly angry tone set Charlie back a bit, but still he remained determined to get the answer to his question

“Well… everyone knows you like Winona, but you also like Lily, so which one is on your mind now?”

Somehow the nonchalant way Charlie was asking his questions and the chill posture made David relax a bit. The boy was just curious, probably bored at the table as much as David was.

“Well…” David began, mocking the way Charlie began “I don’t see how it’s any of your business”

Charlie dropped the act and, in an instant, turned into a raging young adult who just got either really hurt by someone or really bored and David assumed it was the second one in this case. The young man pointed an accusatory finger on David’s chest, hidden slightly to his side so only the two of them can see it and narrowed his eyes, ready to attack.

“No seriously… you’ve been out of your element and Lily is boring us all with the story of how you two met and no, I do not want to know what you’re like in the bed and neither does anyone else at the table. Also, Noni is super uncomfortable so you either figure yourself out or I’ll do it for you!”

The switch between teasing and straight threats was too quick for David to keep track and for a moment he felt dizzy. What was Charlie even talking about, has wine hit his head a little too early? Why would Lily be talking about those things? It’s a private matter and no one should know the details no matter how close to him.

Instead of being angry at Charlie, all David could do was ask exactly what he was thinking.

“Why’s Winona uncomfortable? Because of Lily?”

Seriously though, Winona was never one to care much about what was being said about him or anyone in general. She went through hell back in the early 2000’s because of the things being said about her that were not true or exaggerated and to think that Winona was shaken up about Lily’s silly stories… he couldn’t help but wonder if he was missing a piece of the puzzle that is Winona Ryder.

“I think you two need to talk, big time! Something is wrong and everyone can see that apparently, everyone besides you!”

Charlie shrugged his shoulders and started walking back to his table after earning a questioning look from Natalia. He turned only when David spoke in a low voice.

“I’ll talk to her, okay? Just don’t mettle in my business again”

Charlie had the saddest of smiles painted across his face, afraid to let his true feelings out but there was no point in holding it in anymore. He considered both David and Noni a family of sorts and to see them hurt would destroy him.

“I just don’t like to see you two fighting”

David started following him back to the table, patting him on the shoulder and keeping his hand there.

“I know kid, I know”


	3. God Damn Job

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo sorry for being this late, work's been crazy! I hope you enjoy this new chap and tell me if you want more. See you hopefully soon. Love, girl0interrupted from Tumblr.

She walked into Chateau Mormont. Despite being the first one there, besides the Duffers, of course, Winona felt incredibly uneasy. This was new to her, working on a TV series with people she never encountered before. Sure, she did a few mini-series, but at least she knew the actors, had some friendly faces on the set. This was different. 

Winona wasn’t like this before. She was open to meeting new people, too friendly for her good. She used to enjoy being in a crowd, center of everyone’s attention, even the subject of their desires. Before the whole “she’s a klepto” incident, Winona was spontaneous and fun, had everyone either wanting to be Winona or wanting to be with her. 

Things were much different now. She wasn’t unhappy with her life though. She had a boyfriend who seemed to be very understanding of her and her needs. She had a great support system around her, always there when she needed them. 

The only thing she needed was a challenge, an acting challenge. It has been way too long since she had a role that would make her think about the character, really immerse her in the story. She’d been trying to find a script that would blow her mind and as luck would have it, in the end, she did. 

What instantly drew her to the script for this show was the fact that it was set in the ’80s and even though she didn’t think a show about monsters and kids would end up being a major hit, she still wanted to take on the part of a broken woman, a mother searching for that little bit of light in her life, her son. 

So, here she was. At Chateau Mormont, doing the “first event of the season” thing, something the Duffers suggested. They were aware of the fact they had a lot of new talent joining and though it would be nice to host a get together for the chance of everyone meeting before the actual work begins. 

Winona wasn’t a fan but knew it was necessary. She was in the business long enough to know these sorts of things were mandatory despite being advertised as optional. And so, she decided to come early, because if you come early, you can also leave first without anyone objecting. It was her old trick, one that worked magic. 

She made her way to where Matt and Ross were sitting, patiently waiting for everyone to arrive. They were surprised to see her be the first one, she didn’t seem too excited about this event. Regardless, they both stood, offering their hands for a shake before Matt came around the table and offered her a chair. 

Chivalry is not dead, Winona though before saying a light “thank you" and putting her purse on a chair next to her. 

The next 20 minutes went by quickly, that’s how early she was. The Duffers talked a bit about the general idea of the series and what they would like to see from Joyce and while Winona was all about work, tonight she found herself getting bored with questions about it. 

She was tired of everyone being interested in her career more than her for who she was. Winona could only hope that more people would be arriving soon and the Duffers would find another person to talk to. 

Her quiet prayer was heard because not a second after Ross asked her another work-related question, a deep voice from behind her drew everyone’s attention. 

“Is this seat taken or are you just keeping it for me?" 

A tall, bit overweight man stood right next to her, leaning his palms on the chair occupied by her purse. He was smirking, a playful glimmer in his... damn, she’s never seen eyes so blue. Winona was hypnotized, as if she knew this man a long time before, but couldn’t quite place it, until... 

“You’re a guy from Law and Order, I love that show!” she practically screamed, a huge smile forming on her blood-red lips. 

She surprised everyone at the table, but the surprise was hers as well. For a moment she looked like her old self, cheerful and fun, but the moment was gone as soon as she noticed and Winona’s face fell into a mixture of embarrassment and coldness. 

David took a moment for the initial shock to pass before laughing, throaty and full just like he always did when he was being genuine, missing the quick change in Winona. 

“I’ll take that as the latter” 

He looked at her purse with an eyebrow raised and she quickly moved it from the seat that now apparently belonged to him. She should've reacted like that, but the show was really good and her tongue was faster than her brain and... oh God, this was not good. 

David finally took a seat next to her, greeting the Duffers before turning towards Winona who was incredibly stoic, back turned to him as much as possible without seeming rude. 

“As much as I appreciate you knowing who I portrayed, I’d rather you know my real identity” he smirked once again, damn he looked hot doing that, holding a hand out for her. He was arrogant, that much Winona could tell, but she liked the fact he didn’t freak over meeting her. 

Most of her cast-mates would usually spend the first week of work just staring at her, in awe of the fact they were working side by side Winona freaking Ryder. She hated that. All Winona wanted was to be just like anyone, a woman with a job she loved, not some A list bitch who’d rather a mansion in the Hidden Hills than peace of mind. 

Yes, this man was rude, full of himself and dare she say flirty? But he was treating her like a human, and that’s all she needed to know before smiling and shaking his hand. Maybe the night won’t be so boring after all. 

* * *

As the night went on she felt better and better. It turned out that most of the “adults" on the show were a great company. Some of them had very little acting experience, but to her surprise, there were a few who she knew personally, like Cara. 

She met the woman previously at a charity event and spent some time with her talking mostly about how passionate she was about the cause and why she loved working on projects that included any kind of help to those who were less fortunate. Winona was no saint, but helping others was something she’s always done, ever since she was a youngster. 

“... so Winona, how’s Scott?” 

Cara took a sip of her red wine, switching from a random conversation the two of them were leading to a more personal subject. Winona attended the charity event with her boyfriend and despite the initial confusion as to how Cara knew Scott, she leaned in so only Cara could hear. 

“I don’t want to talk about private stuff here, too many people” Winona had the tightest of smiles plastered on her face and Cara could see the brunette was slightly pissed. 

“Sorry, thought you’d like to share” the blonde dropped even further down her chair, afraid she’d said something wrong, but Winona took her hand, immediately reassuring her that it’s fine as long as it doesn’t become a habit. 

Winona was not trying to be bitchy, she just hated discussing any sort of personal matter, even if it was a happy matter. People tended to twist her words, interpret them to their liking and in the end use them against her. 

Winona knew words were a powerful tool and damn it, she has spent too much time learning how to use them, she didn’t need Cara poking her nose. Maybe it was drastic, but it was the only way to stay protected, stay within her walls. 

“Hey, want to get some air? I could use a smoke” 

Winona was startled at the voice of the man she barely spoke to the entire night, of all the people she talked to he was the only one she shared only introductions with and he was supposed to be her partner in crime, on the show that is. She wanted to say no, leaving the venue with anyone even if it was just outside seemed like a great way for stories to get going and they didn’t even have their first table read. 

As if he could hear her mind racing with all the wrong questions, David put a hand on Winona’s shoulder causing her to turn her torso completely towards him. She was a sight, David thought before reassuring her. 

“I promise, no one will say anything and if they do, I’ll personally handle it” 

It took whole 10 minutes of talking her into getting a freaking cigarette out in the back of the venue, but she did give in. Winona kept telling herself that it was all because she needed a smoke, but there was something about David... and she needed to know what.


	4. Careless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being absent. Dealt with a big case of writer's block. But, I am back now!

She was standing on the balcony, gentle breeze tickling her skin as she took another inhale. Scott left the award ceremony early because he had a flight to catch, some conference he needed to attend early in the morning. 

Winona wasn’t  unhappy with his decision though, but she  wasn't too  trilled either because that meant she would have to sit through the rest of the night with no distraction and a painfully good view of David and Lily. She lasted about 20 minutes before she found herself in desperate need of some alcohol and a cigarette. 

That is how she found herself on the balcony of  the Shrine Auditorium, leaning against the railing with a whiskey in one hand and a Marlboro in the other. 

She allowed her mind to wander to a time when she was on a similar balcony, the only difference David being next to her. She recalled that first time they shared a cigarette at the balcony of Chateau Mormont, just a few days before the table read. 

_ “Do you ever catch yourself looking up at the stars, finding shapes and admiring them?” _

He asked her then. The question was so innocent and sweet, a question that reminded her of when she was younger, having a similar conversation with her first sweetheart. 

_ “I actually used to own a star” She didn’t know why she was sharing such a random information that also happened to be very personal, but she would later tell herself it was just a minor mishap, a spur of the moment thing.  _

_ “You did?” He looked down at her, smirking slightly at the height difference, she was so tiny, reminded him of a pocket Venus.  _

_ “Yeah” She was unsure if the tale was fit for the moment, but it felt nice sharing it with someone new “It was and remains one of my most prized  _ _ possessions _ _ ” _

_ “What was it called?” The  _ _ curiosity killed the cat _ _ but David couldn't _ _ keep himself from asking, _ _ it seemed like a fun tale and he was intrigued _ _ by it.  _

_ “Jun” she almost whispered the name like it’s the most precious thing in the world.  _

_ “Hey... I think I read about it  _ _ somewhere. _ _ Isn’t that the star you gifted to...” David stopped himself from  _ _ continuing. _ _ His fanboyish persona took ahold of the mature David and almost made the most epic slip up, but he restrained from finishing the  _ _ sentence _ _... it was too late.  _

_ “Yes... it’s his now. ” _

** “Winona.... Winona” **

A deep, but pleasant voice and a light shake of her shoulders brought Winona back from her memory. It seemed so vivid, or maybe it was just the alcohol, either way she couldn’t help but let a single tear slip up down her cheek. It wasn’t until she wiped it away that she noticed a very tall man standing in front of her... David. 

“Noni, is everything okay?" He  wasn't blind, the woman was crying for God Sakes and something was  definitely not okay, but David didn’t want to push it, he knew how  protective she could get at times and this seemed like the wrong place for a fight. 

“Yeah, I’m fine” she lied “you should go back in, I am sure you don’t want to leave Lily at that table all alone”. It came out as a bitter comment and Winona felt her cheeks going red, was she really that transparent in her jealousy? 

David was taken aback by the venomous tone of Winona’s, but could feel there was something more there, was she jealous? 

“Lily is gone” he sighed and put his hands on the railing, looking over the beautiful garden “she needed to go back to her girls.”

Winona released a breath she didn’t know she was holding. Was this universe giving her some kind of a sign? Oh, how she hoped it was. 

“Oh” the relief in her voice was not missed by David who allowed a small chuckle to leave his mouth before it turned into a full belly laugh. He found the whole situation hilarious. Here he was, next to the woman he once craved and still did to some extent and she was the one that was flustered. 

“What’s so funny?” she gave him a light shove, a smile finding its way to her face as well.

David turned towards Winona, this time with a playful expression on his face, brows  wiggling up and down. It was both funny and strangely alluring. 

“Oh nothing... just that you’re jealous”

He winked as he moved his face just a bit closer to  hers . 

“I am not” 

She tried to laugh it off, but their proximity was making it really hard, a sudden vulnerability  overwhelming her. 

He was now so close she could feel his breath on her face, whiskey and cigarette’s, the perfect duo. She pushed herself back, unintentionally trapping herself between the wall and his broad chest. 

“Oh, yes you are”

David was getting confident. When he saw her on the balcony as he was returning from escorting his “new found love”, all he wanted to do was see if she was alright because she seemed distressed. The position they were in now was  nowhere near  appropriate and any bystander could tell you that.

“I... I am just glad we get to spend some time together”

_ Nice save, Noni! _ She thought to herself, but as soon as his eyes became a shade darker and his lips opened ever so slightly, the fighter in her lost the battle and she was starting to give in.

“I bet you are”

He was inching closer, his arms now trapping her from leaving. She was caught in his web and if Winona was being honest... she liked it. It didn’t make it any less wrong though. 

“Stop that” she wanted to say no, but her body was saying yes, her gaze now fixed on his mouth that were so god damn close to hers. 

“Do you like it?” 

David didn’t know what was  happening . It was a desire so sudden he couldn’t stop it even if he wanted to. She was gorgeous, she was  brilliant , she was his muse and damn it... he couldn’t lie to himself anymore. 

They were just about to kiss when a gasp jolted them apart. 

“The … David...  your category’s coming up” 

It was Joe who delivered the news. He was red in the face from the  embarrassment of breaking a moment between the two adults and slightly breathless from  running around, trying to find David.

“Yes, I’ll be right there”

The magic was broken and just like that, the two adults regained their postures as David politely held the door open for Winona, glancing at the  embarrassed boy and for a  moment Joe wondered... could looks really kill? 


	5. You're Getting Married

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, there is a huge time jump, but between everything that has happened from SAGs to now, I had no inspiration to continue writing the story as it was. Hopefully, you will still love it. Sorry for any mistakes, I really wanted to post this like yesterday...

**_You're like a student who's on vacation_ _  
Just waitin' for school to start  
I don't know what's in it for you,  
But it ain't in your heart..._ **

**LILY**

The threatening letters started arriving about a month ago, all with the same handwriting and some atrocious perfume sprayed all over, it was females.

At first, she didn’t want to acknowledge them, in her career, there has been plenty of desperate souls trying to grab her attention in any way possible, even if it meant they would get a restraining order. But as time went on these particular threats got more intense to the point where one letter even contained stag’s blood.

For a while, Lily kept it to herself though she could notice how David would catch a glimpse of her uneasiness, but still comment nothing on it.

One day she decided it would be the smart thing to do, tell him all about the woman threatening her. After all, this woman was targeting her because she was dating David.

“And you’re telling me that NOW?!” she heard him yell, thank God the girls weren’t at the loft. “What the hell Lily, you should’ve waited this long” he was livid.

The last thing he wanted for her or her girls was to be put in danger over something so simple as a relationship. Whoever was sending this was a real psycho and he suspected things would only get weirder.

“I am sorry, I didn’t want you to worry” she knew hiding something this big was usually a dealbreaker when it comes to relationships, but she just couldn’t ever allow herself to feel weak.

“We have to go to the police, we have to do something” he lowered his voice seeing how it was affecting her, but kept his posture steady, like a father scolding a child.

She was trying to avoid police. In all her years she never met one cop that actually helped her, instead, they would make some stupid, sexist comment and leave her to fix the problem herself.

“You know how I am with them…” the defiant look in her eyes told him there was no chance she would accept Law Enforcement as an option, so he had to get creative.

“What about a private eye? I know a guy that helped me once, he would do it again for sure.”

She shrugged and finally managed to relax just a little “I think that could work.”

* * *

** DAVID **

****

** Married,  ** he couldn’t even fathom that he would ever be married to anyone, least of all someone he knew for barely a year.

True, the marriage was more of a stunt, but it was out there and David was an honorable man. He couldn’t just pretend like this was what he truly wanted, but it was needed to ensure the safety of Lily and her girls.

_ It turned out that the letters were sent by a woman Lily’s husband was dating. He was a possessive guy and the thought of her spending more and more time with David made his blood boil. What was a casual flaw, became a psychiatric diagnosis and he started plotting his mastermind plot.  _

_ He got his girlfriend who was crazy in love with him to write the letters as a “scary joke everyone enjoys”, convincing her he would send them out for Halloween. Then, he made sure to add all the details he knew would scare Lily.  _

_ He wrote about how he was going to take away their children because she was alone and unfit to raise two girls while barely having any money now that COVID-19 took a toll on all artists. He threatened to expose her relationship as fake, how he would find her when she’s alone, and do unspeakable things.  _

_ The private eye told Lily and David that there wasn’t much they could do. The police had no real evidence that Lily’s husband was behind all the threats and at best they could arrest the woman, but he would always find another victim to do his dirty work.  _

_ “Are you sure we can’t do anything? He’s going to take my children and do God knows what to them to get back at me” Lily pleaded with glossy eyes, she couldn’t bear losing everything just because she allowed herself to be happy.  _

_ “Well, there is one thing, though drastic… it might work at least in court” the private eye gave them both an uneasy smile, almost like he was embarrassed of what he was about to say.  _

_ Spill it already” David was growing tired of this charade. He needed answers and he needed them now.  _

_ “It might help if you two… you know, tie the knot?”  _

_ Both Lily and David practically screamed in unison “No”, as if the words cut through their whole bodies. Neither wanted to get married ever again and that was a deal they both agreed on. Lily’s marriage went obviously terribly wrong and David never cared much for that paper hanging over his head for all eternity.  _

_ " I am sorry, but that would prove to the court that your combined paychecks can I fact allow the kids to live a happy life with you, and by doing so, the police are more likely to have a motive for your ex-husband, or at least one that fares better than simple jealousy” _

_ The private eye could see the two loved each other, but there was just not enough love there to break their strong opinion of marriage. He knew asking them to engage in such a thing would probably rock their relationship or even break it, but it was a paper that secured them both and the children from a very sick person.  _

_ “Whatever you decide know that it has to be public if you’re doing it, everyone has to know about it. That’s the only way it could work.” _

__

Because of everything that happened he had to do the right thing and help the woman he fell in love with. But things started going sour. Although married they basically lived on two continents, he had to go back to NY and she had to stay in London to start a trial against her ex.

No matter how hard they tried, their busy schedule allowed no time for traveling and even FaceTime was becoming a chore. His predictions were true, the paper they signed was just that, something to hang over his head.

To make things worse, since it was a very public wedding, he kept getting calls from his friends and family asking why in the hell would he keep something like that in secret. He couldn’t spill the truth so lying to all of them became second nature. He hated it, but it was the right thing to do.

The one thing that did surprise him was that he didn’t get at least the typical “Congrats!” from Winona. She was always the first one to know if something major occurred in his life without him having to tell her anything. It made him think that maybe she wasn’t so happy about it as the rest of his colleagues were.

Ever since the night at the SAG he could feel something shifted in her and even though she seemed completely normal earlier in the year when they started production for ST4, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was all just in his head, or was there something more.

The thought would cross his mind occasionally, but as soon as he would see Lily, all thoughts of Winona would vanish. It was a weird thing, but it was like he had them both in his heart and couldn’t choose.

* * *

** WINONA **

****

****

** Married ** , that's what he was now.

Of all the ways in which she could’ve found out it had to be this and all she wanted to do was just vanish.

Her day started just like any other during the pandemic. She woke up, did her usual morning routine, and settled for a nice cup of tea. 

It wasn’t until she took the seat that she realized there were no more cigarettes in her pack. Naturally, she needed to go to the kiosk because morning tea without a cigarette was unacceptable. 

She jumped out from her comfy chair and left the house, masked from head to toe regardless of it being too early for anyone to be out and about. 

The streets were empty and the air had yet to be polluted. Sometimes she wondered what it would be like to walk the streets of her favorite city without ten layers of clothing hiding her and constant fear of being caught by the paparazzi. It was funny how those little things everyone took for granted, freedom being one, meant so much to her. 

She spotted a small kiosk and was soon facing the older woman working there. 

“How can I help you today?” the woman looked Winona up and down, confused as to why someone would put both mask and visor, sunglasses as well, but who was she to judge anyway. 

“Pack of Camel, please.” 

“Oh, we have them in the back, I’ll be back in a moment” the older woman disappeared from Winona’s sight and she was left waiting.

Now that she was alone, she actually had time to look around. A bunch of magazines were sprawled all over the tiny kiosk, all with the same date printed on, September 7th. 

Winona never bothered to pick up magazines, she was more of a book person, but as she was looking at the pile of colorful covers, a familiar face popped up, it was David’s. She couldn’t see the title, but he was smiling so she assumed it was good news. 

The older woman came back with a pack in her hand and handed it to Winona.

“Excuse me, can I also see this magazine, please” 

Winona pointed at the cover, suddenly extremely intrigued. She hasn’t heard from David since they stopped production and even then, they barely spoke unless it was for work. Ever since he started dating Lily, the two of them lost all contact and now that Winona was single, she kind of hoped David and her could perhaps renew whatever they started the year before.

As soon as the older woman gave Winona the magazine, her face froze and though it seemed invisible due to her natural light skin, she went completely pale. The title clearly said “David and Lily crown their love in Las Vegas”, there was no hidden meaning in that sentence, no chance for misinterpretation. Her once best friend, then almost something more was married, and she knew nothing of it. 

The next thing she knew, Winona was sipping on whiskey, too upset to continue drinking tea, her ritual long forgotten. Winona didn’t even care it was 10am, this was what kept her from going ballistic. 

How could she not know something like this was coming? All he did was talk about how nice it was to have someone like Lily by his side. She was smart and sarcastic, a mother of two, a true artist in every way.

At the end of the day, it was the next logical thing, the two of them tying the knot. It was clear they were in love, but still… she was truly hopeful that once they went back to work, David and her would reconnect and straighten their bond, maybe even make him change his mind about Lily.

Winona felt stupid. Stupid for believing that he would leave Lily for her, give up something he clearly saw as a serious and a devoted relationship, give it all up for her, just another single, middle-aged woman. She even ended her relationship with Scott because she couldn’t bear lying to the man about her feelings when it was so clear they were gone.

Winona realized she went too far, dreamt a little too big, and she once again had a painful reminder that not all risks are worth it.


End file.
